The lapse of time, the ruthless hand of ignorance, and the devastations of war, have laid waste and destroyed many valuable monuments of antiquity, on which the utmost exertions of human genius have been employed. Even the Temple of Solomon, so spacious and magnificent, and constructed by so many celebrated artists, escaped not the unsparing ravages of barbarous force. Freemasonry, notwithstanding, has still survived. The attentive ear receives the sound from the instructive tongue, and the mysteries of Masonry are safely lodged in the repository of faithful breasts. Tools and implements of architecture are selected by the fraternity, to imprint on the memory wise and serious thoughts; and thus, through a succession of ages, are transmitted, unimpaired, the excellent tenets of our institution. Thus end the two sections of the Second Lecture, which, with the ceremony used at opening and closing the lodge, comprehend the whole of the Second Degree of Masonry. This lecture contains a regular system of CHAPTER V. REMARKS ON THE LECTURE OF THE THIRD DEGREE. This lecture is divided into Three Sections. The First Section. The ceremony of initiation into the third degree is particularly specified in this branch of the lecture, and here many other useful instructions are given. Such is the importance of this section, that we may safely declare, that the person who is unacquainted with it, is illy qualified to act as a ruler or governour of the work. The following passage of scripture from Ecclesiastes 12th chap. is introduced during the ceremony: "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them while the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened; and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low; and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird; and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low: Also, when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the foun tain, or the wheel broken at the cistern: Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it," H The working tools of a master Ma şon, which are illustrated in this section, are all the implements of Masonry indiscriminately, but more espe cially the Trowel. The Trowel is an instrument made use of by operative Masons, to spread the cement which unites a building into one common mass; but we, as free and accepted Masons, are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement of brotherly love and affection; that cement which unites us into one sacred band, or society of friends and brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, but that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who best can work, or best agree. The Second Section recites the historical tradition of the order, and presents to view a finished picture, of the utmost consequence to the fraternity.. It exemplifies an instance of virtue, fortitude, and integrity, seldom equal |